A’s lead late rally but fall 7-6 to Red Sox in 10 innings

A’s lead late rally but fall 7-6 to Red Sox in 10 innings
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
June 22, 2014


OAKLAND – Sunday afternoon, the Oakland A’s looked as though they were going to go quietly into the late afternoon against the Boston Red Sox as they trailed 6-1 with two outs in the eighth with Jon Lester on the mound looking to add another dominant start of the A’s to his game log.

But that hasn’t been the makeup of this 2014 A’s squad, and although they eventually fell 7-6 in 10 innings, they made the Red Sox work hard to avoid the first four-game sweep by the A’s in their home park since 1932.

“That’s as hard as we fought all year in what looked like a game we weren’t in for a little while,” said A’s manager Bob Melvin after the game.

“A testament to the fight these guys have. They really never feel like they’re going to lose a game until the last out is made.”

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A’s beat Angels 7-1 with timely hitting, clutch defense

A’s beat Angels 7-1 with timely hitting, clutch defense
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
June 11, 2014


ANAHEIM, Calif.–Though they were unable to extend their American League West divisional lead over the second-place Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim after dropping the first two games of the series in Anaheim, the Oakland Athletics came away from Wednesday night’s game with a number of positives after securing a 7-1 victory.

The A’s ended the nine-game road trip against the Yankees, Orioles, and Angels with a winning record going 5-4 as they return to Oakland for ten games against the Yankees, Rangers, and Red Sox.

A’s manager Bob Melvin stressed the difference in ending a road trip with a winning record after the game.

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A's win 6-3 as Moss, Cespedes go yard

A's win 6-3 as Moss, Cespedes go yard
Mark E. Ortega
Martinez News-Gazette
April 6, 2014

OAKLAND–Just like on Opening Day, 24-year old Oakland Athletics phenom Sonny Gray didn’t begin with his best stuff on Sunday afternoon. By the end of his outing, Gray showcased the kind of repertoire that earned him that honor as he retired the last seven batters he faced in the A’s 6-3 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Gray (1-0, 0.75 ERA) walked two in the first inning and threw two wild pitches over the course of the first three innings. A Daric Barton error in the second allowed two unearned runs to come in, ending Gray’s career-high scoreless streak at 14 2/3 innings. Gray gave up his first earned run of the season in the third, as Robinson Cano scored on a Justin Smoak single up the middle.

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